Connecting device



June 18, 1929. P. WILSON 1,717,903

CONNECTING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1928 1 VENTOR. fPe Eer W11 sow IATTORNEY)! Patented June 18, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER WILSON, OF INDIAN ORCHARD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONNECTING DEVICE.

Application filed June 5,

This invention relates to improvements in connecting devices forgarments and the like and is directed particularly to devices of thequick detachable type.

It is desirable in connection with clothing and garments, of all kindssuch as overalls and aprons, to provide a quick-detachable device forconnecting the relatively movable parts of the garments together. T iequickdetachable feature of such connecting devices is an importantsafety consideration in connection with workmens garments, for instancewhen any portion of the garment becomes entangled in machinery or thelike the connecting device may give way so that the garment will bepulled from the wearer instead of the wearer being pulled into themachine as would be the case with an ordinary fastener such as a loopand button.

Accordingly,the principal object of this invention is the provision of aquick-detachable device which is not only efficient in its operation butone which is economical to manufacture and that is adapted for usewherever a quick-detachable connecting device is required.

For purposes of disclosure the novel features of the invention will bedescribed in the form at present preferred by means of the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the nickdetachable members of myinvention s 10WI1 in engaged or connected relation; and

Fig. 2 is a view showing one manner of connecting the members.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the connecting device comprises ingeneral a ring member 1 and a prong member 2 arranged for engagen'ienttherewith. Each of these members 1 and 2 is provided with transverse barportions 1 and 2, respectively, which may be secured to any type ofgarment in some convenient manner. For example, the members 1 and 2 maybe secured as by stitching to the bib portion and shoulder strapsrespectively of an apron or overall. These members 1 and 2 arepreferably made of some suitable material, such as spring wire, so as tobe spring-like and to possess the desired yieldable or resilientqualities, as will later appear.

Side arms 4 extend upwardly from the bar 1 of the ring member andintermediate their ends are formed to lie closely adjacent one anotherand being spring-like, will permit parts of the other member to bepulled there- 192s. Serial No. 288,092.

through. Portions 5 connect the upper ends of the arms 4 to a cross-bar6 and are arranged so that the bar 6 is offset with respect to the armsto provide spaced sockets 7 at the upper ends of the arms.

Side arms 8 depending downwardly from the bar 2 of the member 2 areformed so as to have diverging prongs 9 which may be called prongs, forengaging the sockets of the ring member 1. The arms 8 are preferablytwisted one about the other as shown, so as to be limited in theirseparating movement and yet free to yield inwardly towards one another.Their lower ends may be provided with loops 10 so as to obviateprojections which might catch in the sockets as the prongs are pulledupwardly through the sockets 7 when the members are detached from oneanother.

lVith the members 1 and 2 secured to the relatively movable bib andstrap of a garment, for instance, they may be connected by forcing theprongs of the member 2 between the arms 4 of the socket member, as shownin Fig. 2. Then by turning the member 2 relative to the member 1 andpulling it upwardly the prongs may be embraced or engaged by the socket7 of the member 1 as in Fig. 1. The parts are preferably constructed andarranged so that the members may tilt or move relative to one anotherwhen in connected relation, so as to thereby accommodate a relativemovement of the parts of the garment such as may be caused by a movementof the wearer.

lVith the members in engagement as shown in Fig. 1 they may be quicklydetached or disconnected whenever they are pulled relative to oneanother in opposite directions because by such movement the yieldabl-eprongs 9 are moved towards one another by the sockets 7 and may passupwardly therethrough.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a device.which has the desired quick-detachable features so that relativelymovable parts of a garment or the like may be easily and quicklyseparated should the garment be entangled in a machine or should it benecessary or desirable. to disconnect the parts connected by the device.

I am aware that many changes may be made in the form of the device toadapt it for various uses without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention, and I prefer there fore to be limited, if at all, by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is:

1. A quick detachable device for connecting relatively movable parts ofa garment comprising in combination, a socket member provided withupwardly extending diverging arms, the extremities of which extendoutwardly from said arms and then return inwardly to provide sockets atthe ends of said arms, a prong member having downwardly extendingdiverging prongs which are yieldable inwardly towards one another forengaging said sockets and being provided with outer smooth surfaces attheir extremities so that they may slip through the sockets as thesocket and prong members are moved in a separating movement.

2. A quick detachable device for connecting relatively movable parts ofa garment comprising in combination a socket member provided Withupwardly-extending arms having their extremities extending outwardlyfrom the arms and -from one another and then forwardly of the arms andinwardly towards one another to form spaced sockets at the ends of thearms and a prong member of resilient wire having diverging arms foryieldingly bearing on their outer sides in said sockets, the extremitiesof said arms being turned inwardly towards one another to provideinwardly curving and outer smooth socket engaging surfaces whereby thearms may be moved inwardly and towards one another and slip through thesockets as the diverging arms are acted upon by the sockets when thesocket and prong members are moved relative to one another forseparation.

PETER lVILSON.

